Mutual Dislike
by GrandLordAtos
Summary: Kumogakure has abducted Hinata, and it's up to Hiashi and Naruto to save her. However, they might need to work on their teamwork problem first... Post-Series  NaruHina
1. Hinata's Gambit

**Summary:** Kumogakure has abducted Hinata, and it's up to Hiashi and Naruto to save her. However, they might need to work on their teamwork problem first...[Post-Series][NaruHina]

**Author's Notes: **Been awhile since I submitted a fic, eh? This is the start of a short fanfiction series I'll be writing, titled (for now) "Of Mutual Dislike". The story is post-manga, and it goes under the assumption that in the end, Naruto and Hinata will be dating, Tsunade is still Hokage, Lord A is still alive, etc. etc.

The story is NaruHina, however, it's meant to work on the relationship between Naruto, and Hinata's strict father, Hiashi.

I feel as though Hiashi doesn't get enough love in fanfiction. He's always either unimportant, or portrayed as an ass. While it's true that his forsaking of Hinata was a bitch move, and he's the sole reason for her shattered confidence in the first place, it's not as if he doesn't care about her.

And as for that scene in the dojo, where he said "I don't care what happens to her", keep in mind we all say things we don't mean when we're angry. I think a lot of people take that scene way too seriously. That, and since then, Hinata has improved VASTLY. She's obviously training with him and Neji now, as she's learned the Air Palms in the manga.

Oh, just a heads up - I'm still getting used to writing combat scenes. I never know when too much is too much, or not enough is being given. Advise on that would be greatly appreciated.

Anyway, hope you all enjoy this story. If you spot any problems or anything, please tell me - I intend to make edits as I update chapters.

**Edit:** I'll be making some ammendmants to this chapter real soon - namely in the form of taking the bold away from dialogue. I suspected it wouldn't be received very well, and I was right - I didn't even like it, to be honest. Also, I'm still getting errors when I make edits, where some apostrophes are completely vanishing - I have NO idea what's up with that though, so please bare with me on that. :P I'll try to get to the bottom of it soon.

**Edit 2: **As I am now in the process of writing chapter 2, I went back and amended a LOT of things on this chapter, to the point where it's different enough to send out notification. The bold text was fixed, quotations were repaired, and a lot of problems with the old one are now completely amended. Chapter 2 will come out very soon, and there were a few changes in here that will come up in upcoming chapters, so it might be worth another look.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or any mentioned characters in this fanfiction. I wish I did though, because dammit, I'd make NaruHina canon already!

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><p><em><strong>Chapter One: Hinata's Gambit<strong>_

Why were they attacking all of a sudden? What could they have against Konoha performing recon in its own territory? For miles they had fled with the ambush squad from Kumogakure hot on their heels. Though nothing more than a lowly recon team sent only to scout the area bordering the Land of Fire and the Tahakashi River in the West, the hostile Kumo unit didn't seem to care. Hinata hadn't forseen that her squad would even engage in combat, let alone against people who had been their allies not even a year prior.

As these questions flashed through Hinata's mind, they provided a much needed distraction from the searing pain of her wounds. Cuts, bruises and scrapes aside, she could have sworn her arm was broken. However, those injuries were nothing compared to what poor Shino had endured. His confrontation with the enemy left the Aburame in ruin, his wounds and loss of blood causing her teammate to fall unconscious. Kiba was not in good shape either, having suffered minor paralysis. Their lightning element ninjutsu and swordsmanship was truly formidable, and beyond what they were capable of fighting against.

If that wasn't bad enough, herself and her two teammates were the only Jonin amongst their squad of six – the other three who had come along for the mission were fresh Chuunin, and not ready for a skirmish against such high ranked threats. They could do little, save for hide themselves in trees and bushes - the most basic form of concealment from the enemy imaginable.

Were it not for Shino's insects creating a diversion prior to his loss of consciousness, they would not have even gotten away from the surprise attack. With him now being hauled unconscious over Kiba's shoulder, the realization that one of their biggest assets towards survival was down for the count sank in. With their injuries so severe, Hinata knew they would not make it out alive through normal means.

Shino needed treatment immediately, and Kiba was in no condition to fight, nor was she herself. The others were too inexperienced, and the enemy was likely closing in on them from the direction of their flight. In a moment of despair, her thoughts turned again to the war Kumo and Konoha had fought alongside one another - how happy she was to see that the conflict between villages could be set aside for a common goal. She felt foolish to think that could last forever, yet at the same time, she also felt as though there was more to this attack than she knew.

As the eyes of her team fell upon her, the young Hyuuga realized she had to make the next decision. Slowing her breath, and wiping the sweat from her brow, the girl rose to her feet, trying to put on a strong face for her comrades.

"Hinata?" Kiba faced her, taking his eyes off of the clearing. "What are you pl—"

"Kiba-kun." she started, trying to find the strength to say what she was about to."Take Shino-kun and everyone else back to Konoha, and hurry! I...I'm going to stay behind and provide a diversion, at least for as long as it takes for you all to cover a safe distance."

"You have to be joking!" Kiba yelled, suddenly lowering his voice as he realized they were still in hiding. "Hinata, you can't hold off four Jonin on your own! Worse, they're some of the most powerful shinobi in Kumo, it'll be suicide for you to take them all on your own!"

Hinata shook her head. "I'll only engage them long enough, then I'll get away." Reaching into her satchel, she began to grasp the contents in her palm. Just two smoke bombs, a flare, and four explosive tags – just enough to get by. "Get the others to safety. When I make my own retreat, I'll send a flare up. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

"But I..."

"GO! NOW!"

She had come such a long way since the early days of Team 8. Back then, she would have never shown such courage in the face of danger, or have yelled at Kiba even for defying orders. She had taken charge now, and he couldn't argue with the girl - she was the acting leader with Shino down. Reluctantly, the Inuzuka faced the three other Chuunin who were with him, signaling for them to move out. Soon as they had vanished from sight, Kiba took one last worried look at Hinata, placing the unconscious Shino upon the back of Akamaru.

"I don't want to be the one to tell Naruto or your family that you're dead, and I don't want to attend a friend's funeral anytime soon. Hinata, stay alive."

Kiba's words hit Hinata hard, like a stone. So many wonderful things were happening in her life right now - she couldn't afford to lose everything she had worked so hard for. Not here, not now. Her father's admiration, Naruto's heart, too much was at stake. Quelling the rising wave of emotion that was welling in her body like waves beneath the sea, she composed herself, speaking silently and solemnly in response to her teammate, who had left mere moments ago. "I promise...I promise to do my very best, and to return home alive." Though no one was around to hear her, the girl felt a small boost of reassurance, just having spoken those words out loud. A boost that she would surely need.

Realizing the pain from her injuries would hinder her performance, Hinata reached into a pocket on her flak jacket, and pulled out a lone soldier pill. Chewing it slowly, she continued to scan over her surroundings, expanding her vision as far as she could. She could see the leader of the Kumo ambush, a man whom she recognized from the war, not even thirty meters from where she stood. She was almost positive the one beside him was a sensor nin, due to the fact that they were cautiously headed her way. The man...Darui. Memories of their allegiance surfaced once more in her mind, and she began to second guess her plan. This man was strong - she had seen that first hand. She had to act now. If they detected her team fleeing, she'd lose her chance to hold them off.

Her heart was racing as though it would burst from her chest any moment, her palms sweating like a river. Blood from her earlier injuries began to meld with the dirt and sweat upon her body, an unsettling feeling as it started to trickle down her face. She could feel her mouth begin to dry with each heavy gulp she took, the passing of time seeming infinitely slower with every moment she waited. The explosive tag grasped in her hands was nearly crumbled as she clutched on to it, waiting till the two visible targets were in range. Seconds seemed to pass like hours. Within moments, her heartbeat became so loud that it drowned her own thoughts out. Would she make it? Would this work? Where were the other two? Had they already engaged her team? Wracked by worry and fear alike, she fought hard to stay focused, feeling the effects of the Soldier Pill she had just taken. Her pain was numbed, and her fatigue began to vanish quickly. However, her anxiety was tenfold now, the trembling within her very core building up and becoming harder to keep under wraps as worries crept up on her thoughts. How could she possibly have hope against some of Kumogakure's best? She began to combat doubt; She was a Hyuuga, one of Konoha's most revered clans. She was a Jonin as well, a title given only to the elite. Even if it would only buy a minute of distance for her team, she could do this, and she could live. She knew it - she was no longer the weak little girl she had begun as more than a decade of life ago. Her breathing steadied as the enemy fell into range. Now was the time to act!

Moving around the tree she had used as cover, Hinata slapped the explosive tag onto the trunk, twisting around and thrusting her palm out swiftly. "Hyuuga Style Art: Air Palms!" A burst of air came forth from her hand, ripping through the trees at the dark skinned Kumo nin. Almost immediately, the man and his companion leaped into the air, out of the attack's range.

Swiftly moving forward, Hinata narrowly got away from the explosion from the very tag she had placed, darting to the side as the tree fell down towards her airborne opponents, both with a look of mild shock upon their faces. Keeping her eye on them, she knew that she had to get close enough to use the Juuken on them before they could assess the situation and use any of their jutsu. Acting fast, she jumped on to the trunk of the still-falling tree, and rushed to Darui in a blur. Her palm flew through the air, aimed to strike the Kumo nin's arm. 'Come on...' she thought to herself. 'Don't miss...' If she could land one well placed juuken, perhaps she could stop him from forming seals.

"Laser Circus!" The man's hand seals were blindingly quick, she almost didn't notice his movement.

Hinata had only a split second to react to a flurry of guided lasers that were now closing in on her, forcing the Hyuuga to cease her juuken strike. Kicking off of the tree she had poised to attack from, she bolted towards the ground, several bolts of energy moving swiftly towards her. As soon as her feet touched the ground, a veil of chakra enveloped the girl's body, and she began to spin rapidly. "KAITEN!" A sphere of chakra formed around her, spinning torrentially and negating the beams. As she ceased spinning, looking at the small crater she had created with that last jutsu, she realized that she would exert herself far too swiftly if she used something like that again. Exhaustion began to manifest in the form of heavy breathing. If this fight dragged on for too much longer, she would not have the energy to get away. Darui and the other shinobi had once more gained footing, and were preparing for another assault. It was at that moment that Hinata noticed two other chakra signatures nearby, gleaming in her wide field of vision. They were headed her way with great speed - it was almost assuredly the other two jonin. She could not handle all four of them and hope to get away.

She turned to the other combatant, who was closer to her than Darui. A young, pale skinned man with untidy blond hair - she suddenly recognized the shinobi as Shii, and the moment she noticed him forming a hand seal, the Hyuuga heiress held her ground, bracing for the worst.

"Lightning Illusion: Flash of Lightning Pillar!"

An immense flash of light suddenly surged forth from the body of the nin, causing Hinata to squint momentarily. It was no use - even after opening her eyes, there was a blinding white light surrounding her entire line of sight. No, it wasn't light - it felt too strange, her head was too fuzzy from just a glance at it. "Nhg...g-genjutsu?" Flaring her chakra up, she began to reverse the flow of her tanketsu, trying to break the genjutsu on her own. It was seldom she came up against genjutsu users in her missions, but she was grateful toward her lineage whenever moments such as this arose.

However, her relief from the blinding genjutsu was short lived - as soon as her vision returned, she felt herself being swept off the ground by a devastating blow to her stomach, Darui having hit her firmly with the blunt of his weapon. In that instant, as she felt her body soaring swiftly through the air, she realized she should have prepared herself for such an attack. The overwhelming pressure of facing off against both a genjutsu user and a swordsman with such a dangerous ninjutsu was clouding her judgement - the moment she accomplished anything at all in this fight, she was letting her guard down. As her back hit the truck of a nearby tree harshly, she began to cough up blood, her stomach feeling as if it had been hit by a sledge hammer. Darui was no slouch on strength, and the odds of her getting away began to plummet rapidly. She found it difficult to even stand, a pain powerful enough to overwhelm the effects of a Soldier Pill wracking through her body. She felt a sharp needle-like vice from her arm - it was now assuredly broken, as she could barely lift it. A sudden movement sent a surge through her entire being, causing her to clutch her chest - that last attack not only slammed her stomach, but it must have broken one of her ribs as well.

Panting heavily, she looked out at the two Kumo nin, who paced slowly toward her without fear. Dread sank in as her vision started to blur and double, even with the Byakugan active. If there was a chance she could make it away before, she had lost that chance now. The other two Jonin were less than a minute away, and the two before her were a match and a half for her already.

Shii folded his arms and spoke, not caring that Hinata was standing. He knew she could do little in the state she was in. "Intel was right, then. Darui, this is the one we need. Samui should have already dealt with the ones that fled, so let's subdue her and return to the village swiftly."

"Look, kid, you had me going there for a moment..." Darui began, lazily rubbing his neck. "...but try not to make this job harder than it has to be. You're outmatched and outnumbered - even if you were in a league of your own, you couldn't take both of us. Just give up and come quietly – we don't want to have to kill you here."

Hinata glared at the white-haired Kumo nin, staggering weakly to re-assume her stance. What he said...for her to give up? At this point in her life, such words were almost an insult to the highest degree. "Give...give up? You're misguided..." Mustering every last ounce of courage in her being, she powered through the agonizing pain and raised her hands to her sides. With a burst of newfound energy, she sprinted towards Darui, her hands became engulfed by chakra and taking the shape of two lion heads. Palms reeled back, grinding her blood soaked teeth, the battle weary kunoichi finished her sentence. "... if think you can make me give up!"

"DARUI! Keep at a range!" Shii yelled, leaping atop the limb of a tree. "Her chakra just spiked! You can't risk getting hit by her in that state!"

Darui drew a heavy sigh and extended his palms out. "I'd usually trust your calls, Shii, but just look at her. She can barely move, so she's about as fearsome as a toothless lion."

Almost as though it was on cue, a smoke bomb landed at Darui's feet. The white haired man's eyes widened. "Shit!" Within seconds, he was engulfed in a cloud of smoke. "When did she manage to throw that?" Thinking back for a moment, he realized that when she had performed her rotation a moment ago, she must have used the momentum to throw the smoke bomb into the air so it would come down unexpectedly and when she needed it. And now that she was shrouded by a veil, he couldn't see her to attack, but she could almost certainly see him.

A faint glow came from the corner of his eyes, causing the man to jump shakily to the side, the Hyuuga's pain-filled grunts coming from beside him. Now that he knew where she was, he could counterattack - aiming his hands in the direction he just heard her from. "Laser Circus!" Almost desperately, the man fired a barrage of lasers into the smoke. He swore beneath his breath, having heard nothing that even resembled an impact. "I missed? But where did she..."

A sharp pain suddenly consumed his arm, and he felt himself being propelled through the air, another tree breaking his flight. Not liking how a simple task was turning into a real fight, the dark skinned man muttered as he regained his stance. "Kid's got a lot of fight left...This isn't gonna be as easy as I thought..." The smoke began to thin, and he could barely make out the girl's silhouette charging recklessly at him, a stagger in her step. Quickly, he reached for his sword, reeling around and slicing the tree beside him in a single motion. Rolling out of harm's way as the tree began to fall towards Hinata, he looked around the area, trying to locate Shii. His arm didn't feel quite right either - it wasn't that it was numb, but it felt weaker somehow.

"She's getting away!" Turning around, Darui spotted Hinata fleeing from the area, and extended his palms. In his effort to distance himself from the girl, he had foolishly allowed her an opening to run - but now that he could see again, there would be no running from his jutsu. "Laser Circus!" No effect at all? It was a moment before he remembered what he was up against, and finally realized why his arm felt strange. "The gentle fist! Shii, she nailed my arm just a moment ago, I can't mold chakra right anymore!"

Shii had been watching the smoke bomb skirmish from above, concealed within the trees - yet he had spent nearly the whole time trying to locate the members of Hinata's team who had gotten away. "Go after her on foot then! I'll try heading her off!" He didn't expect Darui to fail against the girl, let alone be incapable of pursuing a wounded shinobi. He would have time to be concerned about the others after she was caught - without her, their mission would be a failure.

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><p>She admitted to herself that her skirmish with the Kumo Jonin could have gone far better than it did. She managed to get away without any major loss of blood, but with possible broken ribs and a broken arm, it would only be a matter of time till they caught up. They seemed to be after her, but they would still attempt to kill her teammates if she didn't keep them busy longer. Whatever they were after, to engage in battle against a scouting team would surely break the no hostilities treaty that was made after the war, and that was something no country could afford to have happen so soon.<p>

The Soldier Pill she took earlier was already having a diminished effect, and the side effects were starting to kick in. She began to sweat profusely - her temperature rising with her blood pressure. She would not last, and she knew it. Biting her lip, she stopped for a moment, leaning against a tree. Opening her Byakugan once more, she cringed with fear again. They were closing in - all four of them. The other two were less than thirty yards away now. This would have to be her last stand...

Reaching into her satchel, she pulled out the single flare, rising it into the air and firing it. Even if she wouldn't be able to get away, the last thing she wanted was for her friends to come back for her and endanger themselves. "Kiba-kun...Shino-kun..." she said, quivering from the last of her energy beginning to leave her body. Her muscles ached, her bones were broken, and her chakra had run out entirely. "I hope this was enough to help you get to safety. And Naruto-kun..." Without hesitation, she assumed her stance once more, weakly but proudly, and stared down the direction of her pursuers. "I'm sorry...I might be home later than I promised I would be."

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><p>Konohagakure had seen few days as noisy as this one. With the onset of summer days, the cicadas had begun to amass around the village, adding the screeching chirps of the insects to the daily hustle and bustle of the Village's many citizens. For Hiashi Hyuuga, however, the cicadas were a welcome presence when compared to the obnoxious teen he was exchanging glares with from across the tea table.<p>

It had been like this for awhile now, even into the early hours of sunset. Naruto had come to the Hyuuga estate earlier that day, asking if Hinata was back from her mission yet like she was supposed to be. Hanabi, much to the dismay of her father, had told the boy it was okay if he waited at the estate for her return. After all, it wouldn't have been too much longer – or so she thought.

After finding this out, Hiashi wanted, with every fiber in his being, to kick his daughter's obnoxious boyfriend out of his home. However, his upbringing as a tradition upholding host made it not so. Hanabi had invited Naruto in, and it was not deemed 'polite' to kick him out for no given reason. The feeling was mutual for Naruto - the only reason he hadn't already said something out of line to Hinata's father was out of respect for Hinata - and out of fear that the man would no longer allow Naruto to date the Hyuuga heiress.

Hanabi felt nervous as she kept an eye on the two, their eyes clashing like lightning across the table from one another. Even sipping from their tea, they constantly looked as though they were going to have at it at a moment's notice, something Hanabi was sure would happen if she wasn't sitting between them.

"S-so..." she began, breaking a long and very tense silence. "Father, how was your day today? I um...understand you had errands you had to take care of today and—"

"My day was fine. The errands were dealt with. You don't need to ask." he said abruptly, still rather irked by the orange clad ninja's presence.

Hanabi sighed heavily, a bead of sweat dropping down her forehead. "I see. That is...very good. Um...Naruto-san, how about your d—"

"It was okay." Despite how much friendlier it was worded than her father's response, it seemed laced with the same amount of spite as Hiashi's. The young Hyuuga girl rubbed her temple in frustration. Playing the role of mediator between these two would only serve to wear on her sanity

Finishing off the last of her tea, she looked outside for a moment. The amber glow of the sun was starting to fade to the black of night. She realized Hinata should have been home hours ago – it was just a scouting mission, after all. The young girl looked to her sister's boyfriend. Though his bitter stare at her father had remained perfectly in tact, she realized he too was growing concerned for Hinata. His eyes had wandered on occasion to the corner of the room, the side the sun had been casting its light upon, watching it fade slowly. He was aware of how much time had passes, and with each vanishing hue of light, she saw him fight back a growing frown each and every time. Then again, her father was growing equally concerned. If only the two of them realized just how similar they were in this respect...

As the street lamps of Konoha shone in the distance, Naruto drew a heavy sigh and rose to his feet. "She...must be running late." he said with a mix of worry and disappointment, turning his back to Hiashi and Hanabi. "I guess I'll check and see if she's returned in the morning. Sorry if I bothered you guys or anything."

Hiashi muttered beneath his breath as he stood as well, turning towards the door as he spoke. "I will tell her you were looking for her when she returns. Hanabi, please see our guest out." He emphasized the word 'guest' with an almost venomous tone.

Naruto stayed silent for several moments after the Hyuuga clan head left the room, waiting till his footsteps fell out of earshot. As soon as he felt it was safe, the blond boy rubbed his head feverishly. "Maaaaaaan! Hanabi, your dad really rubs me the wrong way! Always so stern, always looking at me like he wants to yell at me about something - how the heck do you put up with that?"

Hanabi frowned at the boy. "To be fair, you don't look at him with much respect either, Naruto-kun." Gesturing towards the slider door that led outside, the two of them began to make their way towards the front of the Hyuuga estate. "You know..." she said after a few moments of silence. "I'm glad you're going out with my sister, but...did it ever occur to you that perhaps there's a reason father doesn't approve of you?"

Naruto folded his arms, giving this question some serious thought. Could it just be the way he and Hiashi didn't get along? No, that wouldn't have been it. Back when Hinata first introduced Naruto to the family, Hiashi had an ill disposition with him from the moment of his first impression. It could be that Naruto was seen as 'lower class' - the Hyuuga clan was revered as one of Konoha's noblest and purest bloodlines, after all. Maybe it was the same reason everyone in the village used to hate him and look down on him - the Kyuubi. Then again, most of the village finally trusted Naruto, especially after he defeated Pain. So why was it that Hiashi disliked him so much?

"I don't know." he replied after a long pause. "You were right about one thing - I guess I could stand to show the guy a bit more respect. I mean, he is Hinata's father, but..."

Hanabi looked up at Naruto curiously. "But?"

"But...I just really dislike the guy. I mean..." Images began to flash through his mind, of Hinata's grand display of change and courage during the Chuunin exams. Change that she had to fight to achieve, brought on by a curse of self-destruction instilled by her father. He remembered, once upon a time, dismissing her lack of confidence as something else entirely, just a byproduct of her kindhearted nature. It wasn't until they had begun dating almost a year ago that he found out the way she had been treated as a child. The crushing expectations, and the disappointment, disowning and shame that came from him after even the slightest mistake was made. Though she only spoke highly of her father, Hinata always expressed how difficult things were for her. And while she had worked hard to gain her father's acknowledgment over the years, Naruto still felt disgusted at how she was forsaken at any point in her life. "I just...I know how it felt, really. Not being wanted. I never had any parents to disown me or anything, but I can't help but imagine it feels just as bad or maybe even worse than how it felt to be shunned by the whole village."

Hanabi had almost forgotten about Naruto's ordeals as a child. With as highly as Hinata always spoke of him, it was pretty easy to look past they boy's days as the scourge of Konoha. "When you put it like that, father does sound like a bad man. But...he isn't, you know." She looked up at Naruto, trying to force a smile to break the tension she could feel in their conversation. "Father is a good man. He is strong, and he is loyal. He always places the welfare of our clan and the village above his own health and happiness, and he loves Hinata dearly. Actually, Naruto-san, father is very much like you." She giggled lightly at saying this, causing the blond to turn a shade of red and cross his arms furiously.

"Don't go comparing me to him, 'ttebayo! I couldn't care less if the guy was a saint, he's nothing like me."

"Heehee, well if you say so. Still, I would think of it as a compliment. He is one of Konoha's most revered Jonin, after all. Anyway..." As they stopped at the front of the Hyuuga estate, Hanabi stood silently for a moment. She wanted to ask Naruto what he thought was taking Hinata so long to return. It really did pique her concern - Hinata was always very punctual. There weren't very many things that could delay her, especially on something as trivial as scouting. "Naruto-san, I-"

"You're worried about her too, huh?" Naruto gently patted her head. "I can tell. You kinda have that worried look all over your face and all that - but try not to let it get to you. Hinata is amazing, y'know? If something has happened, I'm sure she'll get through it no problem."

Hanabi nodded in agreement. "You're right. Thank you, Naruto-san. When she gets home, I'll be sure to tell her you said that - it'll make her really happy."

Blushing, he threw his hands behind his head. "Shucks, Hanabi. You don't have to go and do that. I tell her that all the time as it is. I think she might even be getting sick of me saying it so much."

The two exchanged goodbyes, and Naruto walked once more down the illuminated streets of Konoha, hands resting in his pockets, and eyes fixated on the ground. 'That's what I told her...' he thought to himself, thinking of how he'd just told Hanabi not to worry. But he couldn't shake the feeling in his gut that something was, in fact, very wrong. He began to think back to the day she left on this mission. 'She told her team to wait for me...' he thought. 'That day, at the gates. She wouldn't let them leave before I got to see her off. I knew she would be gone for a good long week. I offered to send a bunshin to keep her company. Maybe I should have done that anyway...'

Kicking a rock along the stone paved road, he neared the East gate to the village. If she was to return, she would enter the village through there. In hindsight, maybe instead of spending the day having a hateful staring contest with Hiashi, he now believed he should have sat down on a bench here, waiting for Hinata like a good boyfriend would. "Well, better late than never." Shrugging, he sat down on a nearby bench, eyes not leaving the massive gate. When she did finally return, he would be the first to welcome her home.

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><p><strong>Closing Notes:<strong> Well, what did you all think? It may be a bit slow on the startup, but I have about 5 chapters total planned for this - it may be more depending on how I get things rolling. Any questions, comments, or concerns would greatly be appreciated in that little review thing. See the button? The one that says 'review'? Yeah, push it! Tell me what you thought.

Unless you're one of those people who like to go around trash talking pairing fics. Then you can kindly GTFO! :D


	2. Worry & Wait

**Author's Notes:** Been awhile, hasn't it? Well, I'm finally finding the time and inspiration to write my fics again, so here's that long promised update to Mutual Dislike. :D A few notes - in each chapter, I wanted to go from 2 different character perspectives. For now, Naruto and Hinata are the perspectives I chose, but just so you all know, it won't always be the same characters. Hiashi is intended to be one of the focal perspectives in the near future.

Never the less, the stage is set for the remaining 3-4 chapters of this story. I'm still working on the rest, but this time an update shouldn't take almost a year. ^^; Hang tight, folks, and leave a review whenever you can! :D Stay tuned for chapter 3, as well as the continuation of Ni Shourai!

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><p><strong>Chapter Two: Worry &amp; Wait<strong>

_'Okay Naruto-kun, do you remember everything?'_

_'Yep.'_

_'Well...let s recite, just to be safe. This is going to be your first impression after all and...well, you know. We want to make this good. What is the first thing you should do when introducing yourself to father?'_

_'Um...Look him straight in the eye, then bow my head, introduce myself, and...how pleased I am to meet him?'_

_'Almost. You forgot one, and it s very important. You have to remember to keep a straight face - please do not frown.'_

_'Ack! Hinata, I know better than that! You know good and well I always smile when introducing myself. Do you think just because I don t like the guy I m going to try and knock his block off the moment I meet him?'_

_'Naruto-kun, please! I know you dislike father for the things I ve told you about my childhood, but don t hold it against him. He s changed a lot since those days. He s warmer now, much more gentle.'_

_'But Hinata, you re the one that s done all the changing! You re stronger, smarter, way more confident, and it just seems like he d only change to you because you re that heir he wanted and nothing more.'_

_'Naruto-kun, I...I m sorry, I should have never told you about those things...'_

_'...oh, no no! Hinata, I didn t mean it like that! P-please, don t get upset! Look, I m really sorry, just...I don t know, I think I might be nervous meeting the guy is all. Maybe that s it. And besides, even if that was true-Ack, I mean no, it s not true one bit! I m sure he loves you because you re family! Not any lesser reason, n-not at all, so please cheer up!'_

_'You mean you truly don t think like that about him? Honest?'_

_'I swear! I was just looking for excuses not to go through with this maybe, I m just really nervous is all. And I mean it! Heck, if I had a bowl of ramen on me, I d give it over to ya just to show you how serious I am. And you know me and ramen.'_

_'Well...I believe you, Naruto-kun. After all, you never-'_

_'-go back on my word. Our nindo, right?'_

_'Mhm. You ve always stood by whatever you ve said, Naruto-kun. That s why I won t start doubting you now. And I give you my word as well. I really need you to make a good first impression, but... I m not worried. As long as you remember everything I ve told you, there s no way father will dislike you!'_

* * *

><p>As memories of the first time he actually sat down with Hiashi and Hinata began to encircle his waking dreams, he recalled just how horribly that first impression went, and just how wrong Hinata had been. From the moment Naruto walked past the sliding doors of the Hyuuga estate, Hiashi s aggressive, almost deathly glare was fixed upon him. It was almost as if he was trying to set him ablaze with his eyes, not that he believed that could actually happen though. Or could he?<p>

To this day, Naruto never knew what made Hiashi hate him so much. He d been as respectful as could be the first time, meeting eye contact, bowing, and saying _"I am Uzumaki Naruto. It s an honor to meet Hinata's father at last."_

Wait, did he actually say that? Or did he say something else?

No, it couldn t have been. He remembered after the introductions, Hinata had looked to him and whispered Great job, Naruto-kun! with a warm and cheery smile - a smile he d come to love seeing on her face whenever they were together. A smile that faded swiftly as Hiashi groaned in disapproval.

He did everything right that day, and it wasn t as though he had an ill reputation. Not anymore, for certain. He was the hero of Konoha, and the savior of the entire shinobi world. He had ultimately silenced a centuries old grudge, made a new and peaceful world possible for his friends.

If Hiashi still hated Naruto for having the Kyuubi sealed within him, he d be the first he d met in a good long while. On top of that, Naruto remembered the kinds of glares that were given to him as a child for that very same reason - the look Hinata s father gave him was a hateful one, but it just didn t seem the same as all the others. Maybe he had just forgotten what they were like. It had been a long time, after all.

When the tea had been finished at last, Naruto hoped it wouldn t be a common ordeal - sitting here, saying nothing to the stoic man. However, Hinata insisted they all get together every week - probably the first thing she d ever done that Naruto truly felt irked by. And in spite of all her efforts, things ceased to change between the blond ninja and the head of the Hyuuga clan.

Every visit turned into a staring contest between the two, and it had been wearing poor Hinata down. She truly wished the two of them could coexist, and Naruto knew it. Even though he didn t like the guy, however, he wasn t the one to cast the first stone...or was he?

He just couldn t remember!

As these recollections brought the dozing teen to the surface of his deep slumber, the soft glimmer of the morning sun began to seem through his eyelids._ 'Nrgh...Great...morning already'_ he complained with a mumble, turning towards the park bench to rise without the sun glaring in his eyes. A bellowing yawn welled up within him, and he rose his arms to stretch. The first thought to fill his conscious mind was the same he d had before he fell asleep waiting for Hinata the night prior; Was she back yet?

Clutching his groaning stomach, the boy wondered if he could stave off a meal any longer. He was so worried about Hinata that night, he had completely forgotten to eat dinner. "Man...better get myself to Ichiraku. I wish that old man would have at least given me something to munch on last night. The Hyuuga head is a gracious host my ass."

"For your sake, Naruto, I hope you don t actually speak like that to Hiashi-sama."

The blond froze where he stood, mid stretch yet still as a statue. Slowly and nervously, he turned his body around, slightly more relieved at the realization of who the voice belonged to. "Neji. Don t sneak up on me like that, you almost gave me a heart attack!" Beating on his chest as if it would cease his pounding heart rate, he sighed in relief that the one speaking to him wasn t Hiashi himself. No, wait, he mentioned Hiashi, so that would be kind of silly...perhaps he was becoming a bit paranoid? Throwing his hands behind his head, he flashed his famous smirk at Hinata s cousin, pretending as though he hadn't said a thing. "Heheh, so what s up Neji? You weren t lookin for me or anything, were you? I mean, it s kinda early in the morning still and-"

Neji turned and began to walk away, speaking with a short tone. "We don t have time for this. You're needed at the Hokage s office, so head over there with haste. It s important."

Naruto's face dropped from a beaming smile to an ugly frown, his lower lip curling in disdain at the news. "Wait a sec, Granny Tsunade told me she wouldn t be sending me on any missions or anything till after Hinata got back... so I could spend some time with her. What's the big idea sending me on one all of a sudden?"

Neji looked back at him. Naruto could see, even from the distance between them, he was trying to keep his composure. "Because, the matter involves Hinata."

The color drained from his face. There was no way, not a paper bomb's chance in hell that this was good. The fears of what might have happened to her that he had spent half the night ignoring out of the blind belief that she would be just fine had started to invade his thoughts again, swarming his mind like a swarm of insects. "Neji...what s going on? What happened to Hinata?"

* * *

><p>Pain, coursing through every fiber of her being. Fatigue and exhaustion, weighing her body down like a lead weight. As Hinata inched back into the conscious world, she struggled with what little might she could muster just to raise her head. Darkness, with an orange glow casting off of shadows. Faint, translucent rays trying to force their way through pinholes upon a ceiling of pitch black. Where was she?<p>

Her vision began to settle, and everything ceased to be a blur. The muffled sounds of voices nearby began to fill her ears, becoming more understandable with each word they said. The voices, she d heard them before. Recently. Recently?

Her head was pounding, yet she didn t even have the strength to groan. _'If I could activate my Byakugan...'_ she thought to herself, even her thoughts coming on a bit sluggish. _'I could find out...who and where...'_ She couldn t even finish her thought! What did they do to her? The last waking moments before she was overpowered the night before began to race through her mind. Darui...the Cloud...yes, she had to have been in their captivity still. She was cornered. Three...no, four of them. She had fought tooth and nail against them, but with no luck - she couldn t even escape. Not against four Jonin ranked shinobi.

Still, she was alive - that was a start. And a start was all she wanted. However, as she attempted to unbind herself, she came to a curious conclusion - she wasn t even bound by the enemy. Just as this conclusion set in, and she figured she might be able to escape, she realized something was horribly wrong with her as well. She was fully awake now, but she still couldn't move. _'They must have sedated me with poison...'_ she thought, cursing mentally at her helpless state.

"Come on, Shii, you know that s not what I meant!" An obnoxious, almost arrogant sounding voice came from behind the tree she was laying down before. "All I m saying is that Darui isn't himself lately. Ever since the start of this mission, he's been taking longer routes, setting off all kinds of indications that we ve been through here - we might as well have sent a rhino through these forests to get that girl!"

"And I m telling you we were just pressed for time!" That voice belonged to Shii, a man whom Hinata had met once before during the war. A close hand of the Raikage. "Missions like this are make or break. We're in territory outside of our own, and the moment if we make one mistake, we don t have time to cover our tails with the rest."

Then why the hell are we camping out for the night instead of getting the hell out of here? Seems like if we want to avoid getting caught, we d have already been on the border to the Land of Wind by now. I mean, we had all of last night to move under the cover of nightfall, but Darui just had to nurse his injuries against the girl."

"The Byakugan user blocked several of his vital chakra points. If we d continued on without treatment, the damage might have been permanent, and he would be useless if we have to fight again."

"Big deal! Our shinobi are suffering permanent injuries all the time out there. We're jonin, not prissy genin fresh out of school! Lord Raikage will have our heads if we fail this, so losing a limb or two is the least of our worries."

"Alright, cut it out Atsui. Your complaining is getting a little dull." A much softer, though bored sounding voice spoke up, silencing the loudmouthed one. Commander Darui - at least, the name she had known him by during the fourth war. "I messed up, and I m sorry about that. But we re not about to fail this mission."

"Hah, I sure hope not!"

"Atsui, show a little respect for the captain!"

"Anyway, our lookout should be back any minute now. Sun's rising, and things are about to get a little more dangerous - we really can't afford to recover and rest any longer. Be sure to thank Shii for the camo - without him, we wouldn t have gotten a wink of shuteye. I'm gonna go check on the Hyuuga girl."

He was coming her way. Even though there was nothing she could do in her current state, her blood stirred. She knew if she hesitated too long, she'd lose what might have been her only chance to escape.

And yet her body couldn t power through the poison seeping through her veins. Her arms were like lead, her body like stone. Never before had she felt quite this helpless.

"You're awake, huh? Bet it's pretty dull, just sitting there like a sandbag."

She looked up, Darui looking down upon her, his arms folded and eyes quite serious. "Why are...you...doing...?" She put every bit of effort she could into forming those words, even with her chest barely able to take in a breath. Her lungs felt like they were on fire just from trying to speak.

Darui knelt down and hoisted Hinata upright, sitting her more properly against the tree. "Calm down. Don t hurt yourself, alright? We put you under a powerful Sloth's Blood Poison. Your heart-rate is being forcibly set at the minimum you need to live, so trying too hard could give you an attack, or worse."

That explained a lot. No wonder she felt like she was still sleeping. Still, he almost seemed compassionate towards her, even though they had fought mere hours ago.

"Bet you already know why we're after you, huh?" He threw an arm behind his head. "Look, don't get all freaked out. I don't feel right doing this, but we're under orders from Lord Raikage himself."

"My...friends...are they...?"

The dark skinned man shrugged. "Our guys couldn't touch 'em, so that's probably a load of your shoulders, right?" If she could sigh in relief right now, she would have. You re a good ninja, to be able to keep us busy that long. "Your friends are fine, so just keep yourself calm, and..."

"Haha, yeah, and we can take those pretty little eyes out of your skull." It was the loud voice from earlier, Atsui. Hinata's eyes rolled to the side, the blond bowl-cut man popping out from behind the tree.

Darui covered his face with the palm of his hand. "Yeah, that's really gonna get her to calm down."

Atsui pulled a kunai out of his bag. "That reminds me about another thing, Darui." He folded his arms as well, twiddling the knife in his hand. "Why don't we just take them here? Would save us a hell of a trip, lugging an extra - what does this girl weight, ninety pounds? I'd think a pair of eyeballs would be easier."

Hinata didn't know which she found more unnerving - the fact that these ninja wanted her eyes, or the fact that this guy would delight in such a gruesome task.

"Look, I'm not gonna tell you again, Atsui. The orders were to bring her back alive. That's what we re gonna do."

Atsui shrugged, letting the kunai drop to the ground. "Tch. I'm just saying, we're obviously in this for the Byakugan. Even if she doesn t get to Kumo in one piece, we could just say we...shedded a bit of weight for a quick escape? Better than a complete failure, wouldn't you say?"

Darui shook his head. "Sorry man, but the answer is no. Now go on and eat something - you'll need your strength. We'll be dodging border watchers all day, probably."

"Fine, fine, but don't blame me for that. Just remember, we could have been across the border already" He crouched down to pick up his kunai, and walked out of Hinata s sight - giving one last look at Darui.

"Sorry about him. We really aren t going to try and hurt you if it's possible. Just come along quiet, and don t get all riled up like I said. Do all that, and you should be fine." As he said this, she could sense a bit of regret in his tone. He was lying, and didn t seem very happy with the reason - she could tell. As the man walked over to join his comrades, her eyes turned towards the sunshafts beaming on the grass.

She still felt horribly weak. Too weak to even curl her fists, or even bite her lip. She hated this feeling. No wonder they didn t tie her up - there was no need to. The poison was just that potent. Still, her eyes conveyed a sudden burst of determination, as she began to think.

_'If I give up now, I'll never forgive myself...'_ she thought. I share my life with too many people now to be stopped by this._ 'Come on, think...there s got to be something.'_ Her eyes wandered about her surroundings, scanning as best they could despite the pressure in her chest. She had to keep it subtle, yet effective.

As her captors began to prepare, so too did her vigilant eyes. Former allies or not, friendly or violent, these men were dangerous. That much she was certain of. Kiba and Shino, they d gotten away - meaning she had succeeded. Now, it was her turn.

_'I'll be home soon.'_ she assured herself, closing her eyes to come up with a plan.

She only hoped time was on her side.


	3. Polar Opposites

**Author's Notes:**Yay, not a five month wait this time, ammirite? You know, it's funny - I began this story last year as an attempt at a Father's Day entry (though still didn't quite make that date either...) and now it's nearly a year later and I'm STILL not done with it. It's not even supposed to be that long of a story!

I'm hoping to get a lot more done this Summer in regards to fanfictions. Too many ideas are floating around that I just need to be done with.

Anyway, here's chapter 3 - from here, we get the story from Hiashi's perspective, and then from Tsunade's. I hope you all enjoy it, as the plot is finally getting in gear. It shouldn't be that long of a wait until chapter 4 either, and either 5 or 6 will see the end of this story with luck. I hope. Well, it never does end up that way, huh?

A very special thanks to Roja of both and the Narutoforums fame, who Beta'd for this story even though she didn't have to, and spotted a tremendous amount of my silly errors. ^^; I usually don't do so terrible with that. And I call myself a grammar nazi. For shame. Roja, you are a credit to this story, and without your help, this would be another heap of garbage!

By the way, the chapter title actually makes 2 direct references to the chapter, but a third, subtle, but really punny reference if you can tell. Aha...ah, I'm terrible.

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Naruto, I would have made NaruHina 180% cannon by now. With TWO sex scenes. And a morning afterglow to go with it. But that hasn't happened...yet. So no, I do not own Naruto.

* * *

><p><strong>"Polar Opposites"<strong>

She had always been part of scouting missions, and he preferred it that way. This way, he would

not have to worry about her so much. The first time her life had ever truly been in danger was  
>during her first Chuunin exam, when Neji placed her in a state of cardiac arrest.<p>

He still remembered the agonizing night he spent in the hospital at her bedside, all manner of  
>life-support attached to his daughter. Never before in his life had he held more regrets at once.<br>Would she live? Would she die? Hiashi had always been aware of how strict he was. But for the  
>first time in his parental life, he felt truly remorseful for it.<p>

He must have aged ten years that night. Eyes not once leaving his daughter, the suspense between  
>each fraction of a second which the cardiograph lay silent. His hands, holding on to his precious<br>child's hand - for what he realized that night was the first time he had held her hand in years.

He stayed by her side all night. Waiting. Watching. He hadn't felt that helpless since the day his  
>brother sacrificed himself for him. With all the powers of Konoha's strongest bloodline at his<br>disposal, virtual nobility as the only thing that could come close to describing his status in  
>Konoha, none of it served him at all in Hinata's recovery.<p>

He had hoped it would be the last he heard of her being in danger, and the last time he would  
>relive that feeling of helplessness. How wrong he was, upon returning to his village one day to<br>find it entirely in ruin, and to find that Hinata had been injured by the enemy in a desperate  
>moment. He was relieved - even proud - to hear her life was in no danger, and that she was<br>recovering from her wounds. Even moreso, that he could continue building upon his relationship  
>with his daughter.<p>

Yet that helpless feeling lingered in his memory. He hated it. And now, he was forced to endure  
>it, made to wait for help for saving his eldest daughter's life. Help he shouldn't need, but was<br>insisted upon by the Hokage herself, much to his dismay.

"For every minute I have to stand here, it's another mile my daughter is being dragged further  
>away," the Hyuuga clan leader said irritatedly, tightening his headband in frustration. "It took<br>me less than five minutes to ready myself, and I could have already been halfway to where the  
>enemy was last spotted!"<p>

Tsunade's fist slammed firmly upon her desk, the entire room trembling from the Herculean  
>frustration of the Hokage. "I understand you're concerned, Hiashi - it's understandable..." She<br>narrowed her eyes. "But no matter what the circumstances, we cannot afford to send you off to  
>engage the enemy without backup."<p>

Hiashi looked at the Hokage's desk, right at her hand. Cracked and splintered - he figured it must  
>have taken some willpower not to split it in two. Though he had more he wanted to say, he didn't<br>wish to invoke the wrath of the village leader any more than he already had. Reluctantly, the  
>Hyuuga clan leader complied.<p>

The door burst open suddenly, the knob slamming hard into the wall. In a blur of orange, a  
>frenzied Naruto jolted up to Tsunade's desk, taking only a few moments to catch his breath before<br>shouting in a panic. "What happened? What happened to Hinata, where is she?"

Hiashi glanced over at the doorway, Neji's head poking in the room. "I'm sorry. I know you told me  
>not to brief him on the matter until he got here, but time was of the essence. That, and...well,<br>he was like this even before I told him what the problem was."

Tsunade held her hand up, signaling for the boy to calm himself to no avail. "That's fine, Neji -  
>thank you for finding him."<p>

"Well?" Naruto's frantic yelling continued, his face wracked with worry. "Tell me where she is!  
>Please!"<p>

"Naruto, would you calm down?"

"Indeed. For every second you spend trying to get the Hokage to humor you, you're wasting precious  
>time."<p>

"You calm down too!" Tsunade pointed at Hiashi, the man feeling a small bit of humiliation for  
>being scolded. "I'm going to go over the details of your mission as brief as I can. Lord Hiashi<br>and you are two of the fastest shinobi in the village, so please trust me when I say we have a bit  
>of time to play it safe."<p>

"Wait, him?" Hiashi sneered at Naruto. "With all due respect, it's a foolish idea at best. I know  
>the boy is strong, but there is no way he will be able to keep up with mine and Koh's pacing."<p>

A vein pulsed in Naruto's forehead, as the fact that Hiashi was in the room finally set root in  
>his brain. "I'm more worried about you being able to keep up. 'With all due respect', of course,<br>I'd leave you in my dust."

Veins appeared on the side of Hiashi's head, to accompany the one already throbbing on his  
>forehead. "So arrogant. And my daughter is going to pay for that arrogance again. You're just<br>going to let that happen? Why are you even HERE?"

"Say that again! I care about Hinata a hundred times more than you ever did, so stop acting like  
>father-of-the year now of all times to save face!"<p>

The cracks on Tsunade's desk splintered, and grew larger. It wasn't until her desk finally snapped  
>in two and crashed to the floor that the two stopped their argument, remembering who they were in<br>the room with.

"HINATA WOULD BE DAMNED ASHAMED OF YOU BOTH IF SHE SAW YOU RIGHT NOW! I don't know WHAT the issue  
>between the two of you is, but it sure as hell isn't as important as that girl's life, now IS<br>IT?" Her voice snapped through the air like a whip, causing their spines to tingle. Hiashi had  
>never seen the Hokage so quick to anger at anything before. "I expect far more out of a veteran<br>jonin, and the hero of Konoha. We've already lost enough time arguing amongst ourselves here, so  
>if you're ready to save her life, I suggest you listen up."<p>

She gave a brief moment of pause, making sure she had their attention this time. "In depth,  
>Shino's six-man scouting party returned last night from a skirmish around the Southwestern border<br>of the Fire Country. Four jonin ranked Hidden Cloud shinobi were confirmed to be part of the  
>attack, and they managed to render Shino unable to fight."<p>

She reached down for the files that had converged in the center of her smashed desks, handing it  
>to Naruto - who Hiashi promptly swiped it from and opened. Inside were pictures and information on<br>the four who had attacked Shino's group, and had taken Hinata captive. "Former Joint Shinobi  
>Commander Darui is among them? So these can't be nin who decided suddenly to betray the Cloud<br>either. This may very well be a deliberate act by the Raikage to obtain the Byakugan...which makes  
>this all the more dire."<p>

"I know." said Tsunade. "If you two and Koh fail to return...there might be conflict between us  
>and the Cloud again."<p>

Hiashi scoffed. "You speak as if you're ready to forgive them for this even if we succeed."

Tsunade shook her head. "Not even a bit. I fully intend to talk this over with the Raikage."

"Hey, lemme se-"

Hiashi closed the folder and tossed it back to Tsunade, not paying the boy so much as a dirty  
>look. "I've seen all I needed to see. I'm already aware of all of these men, and their<br>capabilities - some I have even seen firsthand in the war. Do we have any idea where they might  
>be?"<p>

Tsunade handed the folder back to Naruto. "Border patrol hasn't spotted them yet, but we're  
>tightening our overlook of the Grass, Rock, and Cloud country borders to cover all ground. The<br>fastest way for them to return to the Cloud Village is directly North, so we've discouraged a  
>swift journey by spreading our patrols to the central region. Therefore, you have time to head<br>them off in the passes to the North, where we've intentionally loosened our watch."

Naruto's eyebrow rose inquisitively. "Intentionally? Wouldn't it be best to cover all means out of  
>the country entirely?"<p>

Tsunade turned around in her chair, away from the mess in front of her. "The idea is to deceive  
>them into taking a predictable route. None of our border men are capable of confronting the group<br>head on, but shinobi of their caliber won't risk so much as being spotted while they're in enemy  
>territory."<p>

Hiashi frowned. It was too much of a gamble, that they'd act so predictably. He wanted to voice  
>this opinion of his, especially since it was his own child on the line. Still, arguing with the<br>Hokage at this point would warrant a vicious response, with the Uzumaki in the room especially.

The Cloud was involved, however. Could he truly afford not to speak his mind? They'd nearly taken  
>his daughter once before, several years ago. Though he saved her then, a dear price was still<br>paid, in the form of his brother's blood. Even if they were allies on the battlefield the year  
>before, Hiashi felt all along that it was an alliance out of sheer convenience. This rang true to<br>him.

"Suppose we engage them. Will we still be upholding our end of the treaty, till this matter can be  
>further investigated?" He did not want any mistakes, this time. He wouldn't allow any room for<br>them to cast blame on the victim to stave off blame.

"...uphold nothing." She spoke almost regretfully. Even he could tell she was being cautious in  
>saying this. "I'd rather things not come to bloodshed if we can help it. But Hinata's safety and<br>the Byakugan's secrets are the number one priority of this mission."

Naruto threw his hands to the side. "I'm a hundred percent for getting her back, Granny! But I'm  
>not about to kill anyone to do it either - Hinata wouldn't want me to, anyway! So I'm gonna give<br>you my word right now, we'll get her back safely, and we're not going to kill them either!"

Tsunade shook her head. "Naruto, I know you'll probably try to keep that promise. But just  
>remember what I said about the priorities on this mission."<p>

Hiashi tried hard not to speak his mind this time, lest the Hokage's frustration be risen further.  
>Still, a thousand things floated in his mind as Naruto made that promise to Tsunade. Such a<br>pacifist outlook when the boy's own girlfriend was in danger - he was right to be wary of the two  
>of them dating after all. As Naruto nodded begrudgingly at Tsunade's words, Hiashi was glad she at<br>least had the mind to tell him to be realistic about this.

"Now get going, both of you. This mission depends entirely on your being in the right place at the  
>right time - don't let the chance pass you up!"<p>

Both Hiashi and Naruto nodded, turning towards the door and headed out. Naruto stopped before  
>leaving the room, looking back at Hiashi once more, eyes peering into him as if he was trying to<br>tell him something. His expression was easy enough for the Hyuuga to read - Naruto didn't seem to  
>be enjoying this any more than he was.<p>

As the boy went out of sight, the older man's thoughts returned to the ever burning question;  
>would he be able to tolerate Naruto, if it meant to save his precious child?<p>

No. It wasn't the time to concern himself with trivial things. He just had to make sure the  
>mission was carried out properly. That's all he had to do.<p>

That was all he had to do...

* * *

><p>She watched the streets below, waiting for any sign of Shizune to return. Chewing a strand of her<br>blond hair nervously, Tsunade noticed the two she'd just sent off blur towards the village gates.  
>Mountains of paperwork in the past, thousands of missions assigned and completed over the past<br>five, nearly six years with this title, and she had never once seen two people more unwilling to  
>work together.<p>

Perhaps she should have looked into their synergy before attempting to send them out. No, this  
>seemed more personal than anything. It was easy to conclude from how swiftly they snapped at one<br>another that the two had almost no chances to speak their minds to one another, but that didn't  
>make a lot of sense either.<p>

After all, it was common knowledge around the village that Naruto and Hinata were a couple. After  
>all, the village hero doesn't date a member of Konoha's most prestigious family without word<br>spreading like wildfire. Perhaps the two men just wanted to save face in front of Hinata, or even  
>Hanabi for that matter. Both of them were so stubborn. Almost identical in that regard.<p>

Though she could have done without the childish exchange between a nearly fifty year old man and a  
>young adult boy on a day like today.<p>

Looking back over at the mess of splintered cedar wood that once made up her desk, she felt the  
>onset of another headache. This entire abduction mess aside, there was still a hill of documents<br>needing to be looked over, and at least a dozen missions to assign in the next two hours alone.  
>She needed a drink. That's all there was to it. Rules against drinking on the job be damned, she<br>just wanted Shizune to return with that glorious sake.

"Judgin' by the sorry state your desk is in, you must have taken a few verses out of my book,  
>Hokage." A deep, gruff voice sounded from the corner of the room, Tsunade's eyes nervously<br>glancing over to see a dark skinned man dressed in a white, open robe leaning against her wall,  
>his only arm crossed over his chest and reaching for his side. "I know you already sent word out<br>that you wanted to see me, so don't act all surprised that I'm here."

She would have protested the man letting himself in, had she not already informed the village  
>watch that she was expecting him. "Lord Raikage. Brash and bold as ever, I see." She was tempted<br>to shoot a bemused smirk at him, had circumstances been a bit less...dire.

The Raikage scoffed and rose from the wall. He was awfully relaxed, for a man who had invited  
>himself into her office, completely unannounced. "Came in about the time I saw that Hyuuga leave.<br>Thought it would be better that way."

She nodded, half impressed by his feat of stealth and speed. She knew from firsthand experience  
>that Ei was one of the world's fastest shinobi, but to make it into her office entirely undetected<br>- he obviously understood just how serious things were. "A good idea on your part. And I can tell  
>you're already aware of the situation we're having with your men. Or are you here for something<br>else? A cup of tea, and maybe I should break out the Hanafuda deck while I'm at it?"

The Raikage didn't answer immediately, walking up to stand next to Tsunade, and staring out at the  
>streets of Konoha. "You know I don't like playing games - s'pecially not with no-luck suckers.<br>Feels like cheating. And about that other thing..." His eyes didn't leave the glass, and he looked  
>deep in thought to her. It was as if he was trying to find a 'nice' way to give his answer -<br>something she knew first hand the man would have difficulties with.

"If you're about to feed me a pack of lies, Ei, please just keep it to yourself."

"No, no, that's not it. You heard about the political problem we've got going on in the Lightning  
>Country, right?"<p>

Tsunade nodded. "Shortly after the war last year, the feudal lord of the Land of Lightning chose  
>to retire. Just two months ago, he was finally succeeded by Fudaki Haikijuma. But I don't see what<br>his rise to power has to do with your ninja coming in to our lands and kidnapping a scout."

"Yeah. Neither did I, honestly. I'm gonna be blunt with you here, Hokage." Blunt. Like that was  
>any surprise to her. Lord Ei was almost defined by how blunt he was. "Lord Haikijuma reviewed the<br>Cloud's track record, and didn't like how many failures he'd seen. There is another Hidden Village  
>on the rise in that country - smaller, and fewer ninja, but they're beginning to gain popularity<br>in the region. The man wants to cut funding to our village, and funnel it into this new blood  
>instead. So just a few days back, he came to me, and told me to acquire a Byakugan for the Cloud -<br>to prove our use."

"That's outrageous!" She didn't even notice her voice raising, but it was apparently enough for  
>even Ei to face her with a bewildered look of shock. "Conspiracy at best! What kind of man is this<br>guy? Is he not even aware of the ceasefire agreements between the five major villages made after  
>the war? What he's doing could very well spark another major conflict!"<p>

"Tsunade-"

"I can't believe the former feudal lord - why would he appoint such a man?"

"And I agree!" The Raikage was oddly calm, despite all that was going on, as well as his usual  
>demeanor. "Just believe me, alright? I said the same thing to him, but he didn't seem to care. He<br>told me that if I refused this mission, his decision to redirect funding would be final."

Tsunade bit her lip. "So what are you coming here to tell me then, huh? Do you think it'll all  
>just be water under the bridge, passed off with a mere 'they had no choice, they had to carry out<br>their mission'? Lord Raikage, this isn't some skirmish that could result from all of this. We're  
>talking about full blown international conflicts! Other villages would act the moment intelligence<br>received word that you broke the treaty."

"Then it's BEST..." His voice suddenly rose over hers. "...that we keep this between the Cloud and  
>Konoha."<p>

Tsunade couldn't believe her ears. "Are you...are you suggesting that we forget what happened? Of  
>all the wild ideas you've had, Lord Raikage, that has to be the worst I've ever heard! We're not<br>going to be able to just forget this and move on. If your village so much as sheds one drop of  
>that girl's blood, blood will be asked for in return. There's nothing that will hide all of this."<p>

The Raikage snorted. "You talk like I don't already know that. But let's say the shoe is on the  
>other damned foot - what if your shinobi kill MY men? Even if we're in your territory, there'd be<br>no evidence to suggest we were actively breaking the treaty, and I could just as easily deny  
>anything and turn the tables against Konoha. Neither of us is in a desirable situation, Hokage.<br>You don't think I like this crap, do you?"

Tsunade looked down and let out a heavy sigh. "Then...what the hell do we do about this?" He was  
>absolutely right. This situation was a mess from both sides, both in favor of and against<br>themselves in every way.

Ei returned to looking out the window. "You know. This is a pretty good village you've got here."  
>She looked back up at the muscle bound man. "First time I ever gave it a serious look, even though<br>it isn't the first time I've been here. You've got some good shinobi in this place, too. If I was  
>the leader of this village, I wouldn't be asking the leader of another village what I should do<br>about it. I'd just have a bit of faith in my ninja."

"Wait...Ei, you aren't suggesting...?"

The Raikage shrugged. "Our end is only tasked to go after the Byakugan. If you guys somehow manage  
>to thwart that...who is even to say how things would go? If it's gonna be an unavoidable conflict,<br>Tsunade, might as well hope for success from your side, while I cross my fingers for my own. The  
>aftermath of failing a mission is less devestating here than if we outright refuse to do it."<p>

"And you're fine with this?"

Ei was silent for a few moments. "Naturally, as the leader of the Hidden Cloud Village...no, I'm  
>not. But even if we fail this one, as long as we aren't cut off immediately, perhaps there's<br>something else our village can do to impress this stuck up Damiyo."

She almost laughed at his hardheaded response. If anything, this had to be the first time two  
>village leaders had ever discussed a conflict between their ninja so comfortably. She couldn't<br>help but feel like this was more of a begrudging rivalry, rather than the start of an  
>international incident. It baffled her, yet at the same time, it felt right.<p>

She could only nod at the Raikage's words. He was right, but she wouldn't praise him for it. He  
>was still the enemy in all of this, after all - though an enemy she didn't mind having around for<br>this. And as her eyes joined him in watching the streets of Konoha - the bustling civilians, the  
>children running amok, the off-duty ninja talking to their friends and family - it all made her<br>think that if she and the Raikage could appreciate this scene in spite of their argument mere  
>moments before, there just might be hope for Naruto and Hiashi to cease their fighting.<p>

However, this was soon shadowed by a sudden realization. A realization that she felt would come  
>back to haunt her, as she told the Raikage;<p>

"Dammit...I gave Hiashi permission to use deadly force if needed."

_**END CHAPTER**_


	4. Trust

**Author's Notes:**Sorry this took so long to update. Between my Japanese studies, running contests over at the Narutoforums NaruHina Fanclub, and other matters, I've had very little time to tend to fanfictions. My own original tale, the Apsu Saga: Land of Searing Fire, is also well under way, and I've been practicing my artwork quite a bit as well. Busy bees have little time for play, but I hope my newest installment of Mutual Dislike meets everyone's expectations. Please remember to leave a review, and if you spot any errors, let me know. This includes continuity - though keep in mind that even though current events in the manga are looking grim for a certain Hokage, I'm not counting her out at all. Yeah, I know, spoilers, I'm horrible, right? Anyway, R&R!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto, Hinata, Hiashi, Hizashi, Ko, Atsui, Kamui, Darui, Gandalf the Grey or Gandalf the White, Montey Python and the Holy Grail's Black Knight, Benito Mussolini, or the Blue Meanie, Cowboy Curtis or Jambi the Genie. But I will come out of nowhere lighting fast and kick Chuck Norris and his cowboy ass.

* * *

><p><strong>"Trust"<strong>

"Yo Darui! This dumb girl is squirming again - the venom ain't falling off, right?"

"Relax, Atsui. The venom only needs reapplication every ten hours. We're only about seven from where we camped, and we've got another two vials in Shii's satchel."

"Yeah but, this kid wasn't easy to take down, remember? She's definitely got some endurance, so I wouldn't be surprised if we screwed up with the dosage. Girl's got more grit than most Konoha ninja I've come across, that's for sure."

"Atsui, would you quit hounding the man about it? It's bad enough your hotheadedness let those others get away last night. Get it through your head that you don't make the calls."

"Gah- Samui! You told me you wouldn't let Shii and Darui hear about that!"

"What, how you let the dog kid rile you up so much that you got your sword lodged in a tree? Or about how easily you fell for that smokescreen diversion?"

"Both of you just chill. Look, Atsui, if it makes you feel any better, we'll apply the next dose when we find a bit of cover here. Samui, don't go blaming your little brother for that muck up, because you were responsible for that part of the mission too. Y'guys got it?"

Though she could hear her captor's banter, Hinata wasn't even fully aware of herself. She had to fight just to keep her blurry eyes open, and convince herself that she wasn't sleeping, and that every word that came out of their mouth was important. Every particle of memory that lodged itself into her brain felt like a constant, pulsing pressure. It hurt to retain everything they were saying, let alone try to test the limits of the poison.

Painful jolts of resistance shot up her arms with every mild flicker of her fingers, and were it not for the numbness in her face, her face would be crunched in recoil. But every twitch of her hand, every turn of her head, was another step in figuring out her limits in this state. And at that, every word that passed from the mouths of her captors was another tool that would prove vital in the long run.

She tried to move her wrist again, moving her hand about four inches. It was twice how much she could move it an hour ago. The effects were beginning to wear, just enough to be noticeable. It didn't take nearly as much effort to move either. Her energy was starting to return to her.

'Think, Hinata…' Her mind was still in a haze, a mix of numbness colliding with the sore and stiff venom coursing through her bloodstream. Atsui was wrong about one thing, which she thought about as she mentally reviewed her sorry state. There certainly wasn't any overdose – she wouldn't go anywhere soon like this. Still, they would have to make a stop in order to give her another dose of the poison, and from the sounds of it, they wanted to do it soon.

She opened her eyes, trying to steady her vision as her body was jerked around from her captor's movements. Looking down, she could only see a blurred rush of sandy colored rock, which fatigued her eyes to watch as it ripped across her line of vision. Wearily straining her eyes to the side, she could barely make out another blur – green – on the horizon nearby. Her sight was doubled and rippling, but she still assumed the terrain that way was nothing but forest. 'Think harder…come on!'

She felt like she was back in her academy days, straining her mind just to remember simple details about terrain in the Land of Fire. They were following a rightward slant; the Hyuuga girl could feel it by the wind resistance. She tried to steady her vision, back once more at the nauseating blur of ground below.

She saw it; the monolithic shadows cast over their own, providing a cover of shade. It was midday, almost. It would be almost impossible to determine exactly where she was, but she knew it would take until nightfall to reach the northern pass. She also knew that was where they were headed – they had mentioned before that the border patrols were hot on their trail.

If years of scouting experience had done one thing above all else for the Hyuuga girl, she knew the layout of the land better now than most people her age. Especially since the war, when she was promoted to Jonin, she had worked hard to hone her memory of the various territories and terrains in the lands surrounding Konoha's lush forests. Every mission she had taken since had been a chance for improvement, and it had really begun to show.

Yet as she came to realize her advantages, her mind slipped once more, nearly falling back into the depths of unconsciousness. Her mind wandered back to a safer place; the comforts of home. She was in the warm, caring embrace of Naruto, whilst quelling the concerns of her loving father, who had been worried sick. She had been away. She had been in danger. Yet there she was, sitting with them, laughing with them. Both of the most important men in her life, sharing her safe return home.

It would feel good, right now, to simply give up and indulge in this hallucination, this daydream that she wasn't here. It just wouldn't be right. She was a ninja, after all. Shattering the false hopes that she would open her eyes to find herself awakening in her own warm bed, her mind surged back into focus mode.

They would stop soon. She was almost certain about that. If they were hugging along the cliff sides for cover against the border patrol, they were already aware of this section of the forest. Not even a mile away, an outpost for the Grass Country and Land of Fire militia was stationed, so the forest itself would be teeming with unforeseen patrols. It was only by cover of the midday shadows against the cliff that they were at an advantage here. They would no doubt come across some of the caves ahead to inject her again.

'_Less than an hour, at this rate.'_ She closed her eyes. Steadying the butterflies in her stomach, Hinata began to run the scenarios in her head for the perfect moment. _'I'm not about to give up…_' she chanted in her mind, keeping herself motivated. _'My family and Naruto-kun are waiting for me. I refuse to let them down.'_

* * *

><p>"Hiashi-sama, is it really a good idea to run so far ahead of Naruto?" Ko seldom questioned the head of the Hyuuga clan, but as the blur of forest began to shrink Naruto's orange form on the horizon, he was almost certain his family's leader was trying to leave the boy behind intentionally.<p>

"Enough, Ko. If he can't keep up, he wasn't worth taking on this mission." Hiashi snapped, his head locked intently on the way ahead. "We must make it to the pass before Kumo escapes the country with my daughter, I briefed you on this before."

"Of course, Hiashi-sama, but…if I can speak, if we leave him here we—"

"Then so be it!"

"Oh, so it's like that, huh?" Both Hyuugas heads jolted to the side to see an angry Naruto, passing them by. "If you're gonna be like that, I'll save Hinata on my own."

"Arrogant child!" Ko watched as Hiashi sped up with his rise in rage, sighing as the two powerhouse shinobi began to move out of sight. All the while, he wondered if the two of them could accomplish anything while they were at odds with one another like this. Hinata's life was on the line, and they were working towards the same goal – but in their pride, he began to fear they would kill each other before stopping Hinata's abductors.

He increased his footspeed, trying to match up to them, all the while remembering the day Naruto first came to the Hyuuga estate.

_'I don't care if he's a village hero, son of the Fourth, or a jinchuuriki. I wouldn't care if he was the Hokage, or even a Lord, on that note. None of that matters to me.'_ Hiashi's words echoed in his mind_. 'He is dangerous for her. Hinata is reckless for that boy. You've seen it first hand, Ko – surely, you understand what I am talking about. It's unsafe for her to be in a relationship with someone like him, where conflict seems to find him no matter where he goes. One day, she's going to get herself killed for him. I refuse to allow it!'_

Ko wondered if Naruto realized why Hiashi was so hostile towards him, but also wondered if he cared. Though Hiashi had said all of that before the blond first set foot in the house, his opinion hadn't changed a bit. If anything, it had worsened with the obvious reminder that Naruto wasn't as refined or proper as a member of the clan. It was fortunate that Hiashi's desire to always be a gracious host prevented him from doing so much as invoking a spiteful staring contest.

He had finally caught up with the others, and he reached out to tap Naruto on the shoulder. Pressing a finger against his lips to signal silence, he motioned for the boy to fall back as soon as he turned to him. Begrudgingly, and coiling his lip while shooting one more sharp glare at Hinata's father, Naruto began to slow down along with Ko.

"What's up?" He said this casually, but with a hint of anger in his tone. Ko was a bit surprised, with the boy's current temper towards Hiashi, that he didn't snap as well.

"He's just worried. You know that, right?"

Naruto turned forward again, moving in silence for a moment before offering a halfhearted response. "I guess. Still, they could have just sent me and Neji on this. Oh, and you as well, Ko – sorry."

The man smiled warmly. "I'm glad you think I'm good enough to help you save Lady Hinata. But I am of far less use than either Neji or Hiashi-sama. In fact, if Neji hadn't just returned from a mission before, I'm certain Lady Tsunade would have sent him in my place. This mission is too critical, after all."

Naruto frowned. "Hey, don't talk down on yourself like that, Ko. You care about Hinata's safety as much as anyone. You deserve to be here – but him…" He stared ahead at Hiashi once more. "He's just trying to save face. He just cares now that she's every bit the heiress that he wanted. If she was still struggling, he wouldn't have come along on this."

Ko's eyes widened, shocked that the young man would say something like that. "That's completely untrue, Naruto. Few people care for Hinata as much as her father. Hiashi-sama is strict, this is true, but he—"

"Yeah, I heard that from Hinata as well." His staring didn't cease, as he didn't even face Ko as he said this. "It just doesn't seem like that to me. I guess if I used my chakra mode to sense his intentions, I'd know for sure, but…I don't even think I need to do that. After how he treated Hinata as a child, made her life so rough, I just can't bring myself to believe that guy genuinely cares for her."

"But, if you love Lady Hinata, why don't you trust her when she tells you she knows his true feelings?" He watched Naruto's expression as he waited for his answer. The teen could do little but frown and look down, his eyebrows lowered and lip curled. He looked as if he desperately wanted to say something, but couldn't find the words. "I'm not questioning that you love Lady Hinata deeply and genuinely, Naruto. I wouldn't know enough about love to question that anyway. But from my understanding, trust is one of the pillars of a good relationship. She trusts you effortlessly – even when I myself sometimes question your actions."

Naruto's head bolted to the side. "H-hey, what the hell?!"

Ko chuckled. "I'm her bodyguard, so I have to be cautious about you too, you know. Just rest assured, I'm well past not trusting you. Most of that is Lady Hinata's doing, though. What I'm asking is, do you trust her as much as she seems to trust you?"

"I…well, yeah." A smile began to form, his thoughts turning to the heiress. "She's always been honest about things, even when she was scared to be, and even when the pressure was on. When she first told me she loved me, I still remember just how trying that situation was. I was pinned by Pain, unable to move and without an ounce of drive left. She intervened, and wouldn't leave when I told her to, when I told her it was too dangerous. So I asked why."

The teen looked at his palm. "She just came out with it. She didn't want to see me disappear, because I saved her from going down a hopeless path. Even staring down an enemy, she wasn't about to leave me without the answers I wanted. I mean, I guess it was the heat of the situation that helped her along, but...a dishonest person wouldn't have answered like that. There's so much about her that I've come to love, I guess sometimes I just take her honesty for granted."

Ko nodded. "When Lady Hinata was a child, it's true that Hiashi-sama was very hard on her. Even when she had just become a genin, his heart hadn't softened much. It wasn't until around the time he began to train Neji that he really began to go easier on her – something you had something to do with, from my understanding."

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck and turned away. "I…had very little to do with that. Neji was a good guy, he just needed the crap kicked out of him once – not to mention, he didn't treat Hinata much better, now that I think about it. He had a grudge, though, and it was just misplaced. He got his lumps for it, and he turned out okay. I don't see though…" He turned back to Ko, his expression quite serious once more. "…how that excuses the old man. If he just started then, what the hell? I mean…"

"There was a lot going on in his life, between the matters of running the clan, keeping the status quo with the succession system we have. Above everything else, the death of his brother had an impact on him as well. Keep this between us, but I think he was scared."

Naruto gained a look of shock at this statement. Hiashi Hyuuga? Scared? It didn't seem plausible.

"In truth, Hiashi knew the clan was at odds with one another." Ko continued. "He knew what had to be done, and he was constantly under stress. The elders wanted him to make the decisions they thought were best. He was too scared to step outside of that comfort zone. It wasn't until Hizashi, Neji's father, gave up his life that Hiashi began to question the Hyuuga way. He constantly fought to maintain his belief in the clan's system, and if you ask me, it's what made him so bitter towards Lady Hinata for so long. After he and Neji made amends, however, things got…well, a lot better."

The boy became lost in thought at Ko's words, eyes locked on the man of his ire, still more than an earshot away. He found this all hard to believe, but when he thought about it, he hadn't really been around Hinata or her family much until recently. Sure, after the Chuunin exams, he considered her a dear friend, but between his three years away from Konoha and the time he spent training and battling Akatsuki upon his return, they had only truly become close after the war.

He had missed a lot of pinnacle moments of her life because of this. It was to be expected, but it didn't help his outlook on Hiashi. "Guess…I'm a victim of my own hate, then." He drew a heavy sigh, realizing how he'd set himself back on his own word to so many people. Jiraiya, Nagato, Konan – everyone whom he'd promised he would cast aside hate for, no matter how much it hurt. Even if the scale was smaller, and he would never have sought revenge on Hiashi for it, he still felt the onset of guilt seep in.

"I jumped to conclusions big time, then. When Hinata first told me about how Hiashi used to be, we got into a fight, because I started speaking poorly about him. She didn't really get a chance to finish before we decided to drop it and not bring it up again, but I could always tell she wanted to convince me. She's a lot more forgiving than I am, sometimes. It's just, when I heard that she had felt a lot of the pain I did as a child – the pain of being unwanted and lonely – it made me sad, and a little angry. I thought, 'she has a father who could have treated her better', and held it against him."

"I'm a little surprised Hiashi held such discontent for you as well, Naruto." Ko watched as Hiashi began to fade out of view ahead. "He was grateful for what you did to mend the bridge between him and his nephew. That alone gave him the push he needed to make things better for all of us. He just worries more about Lady Hinata's safety."

"Eh? But I keep her safe."

Ko shook his head. "It's not like that. He's always afraid Hinata will do something like…well, what she did to save your life, when Akatsuki destroyed Konoha awhile back."

"Oh." That's really all he could think to say. It all began to make sense to him, and he was ashamed of himself now for not talking this over with Hinata…when he had the chance. '_Hinata…'_ Naruto thought to himself as he sped up, his talk with Ko. _'If you truly believe your father is a good man, and you forgive him…why couldn't I have done the same? When all of this is over, and you're back home and safe, I promise to try harder to get along with your father. Just please, please be okay.'_

_**END CHAPTER**_


End file.
